Rabbit hutch



Jan. 26, 1954 Filed Feb. 15, 1951 W. C. HAVENS RABBIT HUTCI-I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Williahr 0. Havens IN V EN TOR.

Attorneys Jan. 26, 1954 Filed Feb. 15, 1951 W. C. HAVENS RABBIT HUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

Fig. 6

\ William 6- Havens JNVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 26, 1954 OFFE 2 Claims.

Thi invention relates to animal pens and the like and more specifically comprises novel and useful improvements in a rabbit hutch.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a multi-deck rabbit hutch.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-deck rabbit hutch in which units may easily be added or subtracted in superposed levels.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multi-deck rabbit hutch embodying the foregoing objects which includes a means for discharging the animals excrement.

Other objects of this invention are to construct a rabbit hutch which has provisions for portability and mobility, which is ventilated, which has interior visibility, which has feeding troughs, locked doors and partitioned compartments.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front vertical view illustrating two decks or units of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical end view taken from the right-hand side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the section line 33 of Figure 1 Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view taken on a plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the plane of section line 66 of Figure 1.

With reference now being made to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be noted that the numeral iii denotes a rabbit hutch of multiple or multi-deck housing units. For purposes of explanation, only two such units, namely, an upper and a lower unit, l2 and M, respectively, have been shown but it is to be understood that any number of such units, similarly constructed, could be employed.

At the outset it should be understood that the lower unit M of each system or stack of units is the only one constructed in a special manner. All of the superposed units are to be identically constructed.

Actually, the lower unit I4 is unique only in the manner of its support and this is due to its position in the stack of units. Accordingly, in Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that this lower unit consists of a framework seen generally at it, around its entire contour. The vertical portions of this framework comprise front and rear legs I8 and 20, respectively, constructed in such a manner as to provide a horizontal support for the frame 22 to which is secured a foraminous floor 23. A dropping board 24a is disposed beneath the floor 23 and is secured to the legs of the framework it. As will be noted, particularly from Figures 2 and 3, the board 24a is inclined downwardly from the front to the rear of the framework to guide droppings through the floor 23 to the rear of the framework so that such droppings will not collect underneath the framework.

The framework It is such that the legs extend for the entire vertical height of the unit at their particular locations and it will be seen that the front legs 18 are relatively longer than the rear legs 20. In this mode, the roof 24 may be supported at an inclined level as seen best in Figure 2. Further, by referring to Figure 5, there is illustrated the roof 24 of a solid, preferably metallic material covering the entire lower unit I l. To complete the general outer construction of this lower unit, there are provided side walls 26 of wire mesh having any suitable dimensions and attached along all of the edges to the adjacent framework It.

Considering the interior of the lower unit it, it will be evident from Figures 1, 3 and 4 that the housing space is divided into two campartments by a feeding trough 28 and a manger 3i]. Both the trough and manger extend from the front to the rear of the unit achieving their support through suitable portions of the framework it. The bottom of the trough rests flush with the floor 23, and is substantially an elongated rectangular solid box-like feed container, being conventional in nature.

The manger 30, on the other hand, is substantially an elongated V-shaped section having its apex secured along the medial longitudinal line of the trough 28, as at 32. The sides of the manger rise angularly upwardly to the roof 2% of the unit. The top 34 of the manger is made of sheet metal or some solid material while the lower half has a wire mesh 36. This lower portion, therefore, provides sufiicient openings through which the animals may nibble on the fodder or the like.

Each compartment is provided at the front thereof with a door 38, 49, each of which is hinged for horizontal swinging movement. To look the doors, a latch 42 is utilized as in Figures 1 and 6 and consists of a resilient plate 4 5 pivotally secured to the framework l6, as at 45, and having a projecting key 46 for removable insertion in the complementary slots, as 48, in the adjacent portions of the doors.

The superposed housing units are identical in all respects to the bottom unit M except for the construction of the legs. Accordingly, the upper unit I2 is provided with the general outer framework [6 having a foraminous floor 50, walls 52 of wire mesh, a trough 54 and manger 55 dividing the unit into two compartments and hinged doors, as 58, being locked; bythe. latch 60.

Attention now being directed to the legs of the upper unit IE, it will be noted that the front leg 6 2;extendsonly, throughoutthe vertical; height of the housing unit. itself, thereby allowin the, lower framework 64 of the upper unit to rest on the upper horizontal ledge. of the roof 214 ofthe lower. unit l4. However, the rear leg 66. depends. below the upper unit 1:2. to. such an extent that when the leg 65 rests upon the lower portion of the roof 26, the floor 59 will be in a sub-stantially horizontal plane. In this manner, therefore, the inclined roof'2 5 cooperatesiwith therelative length of the legs 66 and 92 to provide a hori-- zontal foraminous floor 53 with a discharge: chute for the animals excrement situated below.

It will be understood: that these legs 62 and 66 are provided with pins 98 depending therefrom and which slidably fit within apertures or blind holes min the adjacent upper surfaces of the roof 24. Therefore, upper units |-2- may be added as desired each providing a cooperative relationship between the lower legs and the next adjacent lower roof.

Finally, to add a, greater mobility to the multideck arrangement of rabbit hutches, there is providedrollers '12- at the lower ends of the lower legs I 8- and 20 as seenin the accompanying drawmgs.

From the foregoing, the-construction and operation of the rabbit hutch will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to. be unnecessary. However, sincenumerous modifications andchanges will be, readily apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described; but all suitable modificationsand equivalents may 4 be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A multi-deck rabbit hutch comprising upper and lower housing units, each of said units having side walls, a horizontal foraminous floor and an inclined solid roof, the lower unit having apertures at the corners of the roof, the upper unit having a peripheral frame supporting the floor thereof, pins depending from the forward corners of said frame and being slidably received in corresponding roof apertures of the lower unit and means associated with the rear corners of said frame for angularly supporting said frame with respect tothe lower roof, said means comprising spaced legs depending from the rear corners of the peripheral frame, pins mounted on the free ends of said legs, said pins being slidably received in corresponding roof apertures of the lower unit.

2. A multi-deck rabbit hutch comprising upper and lower housing units, each of said units hailing side walls, a horizontal foraminous floor and an inclined solid roof, the lower unit having apertures at the corners of the roof, the upper unit.

having a peripheral frame supporting the floor thereof, the forward portion of said frame abutting the upper edge of said lower roof, pins depending from the forward corners of said frame and being slidably received in corresponding roof apertures of the lowerv unit and means associated-with the rear corners of said frame for angularly supporting said frame with respect to the,

lower roof, said means comprising spaced legs depending from, the rear-corners of the peripheral frame, pins mounted on the free ends of said legs, said pins being slidably received in corresponding roof apertures of the lower unit.

WILLIAM C. HAVENS.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 256,191, Barnes Apr. 11, 1882 444,999- Bickel- Jan. 20, 1891' 1,696,342 Bulman Dec. 25, 1928 1,891,811 Grimes, Dec. 20, 1932' 1,927,416 Petry Sept. 19, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number. Country Date 295,772 Italy Apr. 29, 1932 7%,72, France"- Jan. 26, 1.933 160,103 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1933 

